Knicks OG Anunoby hamstring update

OG Anunoby returned to some on-court work with the New York Knicks on Wednesday, May 13, as he recovers from the right hamstring strain that sidelined him for the last two games of the team’s second-round sweep of Philadelphia. Coach Mike Brown said Anunoby participated in only parts of practice and did not say whether the forward would be available for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks have at least several more days before they play again, with the start date tied to the outcome of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Detroit Pistons series. NBA.com’s playoff bracket listed Cleveland ahead 3-2 entering Game 6 on Friday, May 15. ### What exactly did Anunoby do in practice? Mike Brown said Wednesday that Anunoby “did some things” in practice, but not during the portions when the Knicks went full speed. Brown told reporters that Anunoby “looked fine” in the work he completed, while adding that the staff had only briefed him on what the forward could do that day. (nba.com) Yahoo Sports, citing reporting from the New York Post, said the Knicks mixed in live work on Wednesday and described it as full contact. The same report said Anunoby practiced on a limited basis for the first time since suffering what it called a mild right hamstring strain late in Game 2 against the 76ers. ### How long has he been out? (nba.com) Anunoby missed the last two games of New York’s 4-0 series win over Philadelphia after injuring the hamstring late in Game 2. NBA.com’s Associated Press report said the injury forced him out of Games 3 and 4 of that series, though the Knicks still completed the sweep. The Knicks listed Anunoby as questionable for both of those games, according to Yahoo Sports. (sports.yahoo.com) Brown said Wednesday that he was taking the recovery “one game at a time” and did not want to project beyond the next update from the medical staff. ### What has Brown said about Game 1? Brown said Wednesday that he did not know whether Anunoby would be ready for Game 1 because the medical staff had not yet told him what the forward would be able to do next. “They have not told me what he could do tomorrow, so I don’t know what he’ll be able to do for Game 1,” Brown said, according to the Associated Press report carried by NBA.com. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Thursday was an off day for the Knicks, and Brown said the team would practice again Friday. He said he expected to seek another update then, rather than look further ahead. ### Why is the calendar still unsettled for New York? The NBA schedule showed Cleveland leading Detroit 3-2 entering Game 6 on Friday, May 15, with a Game 7, if necessary, set for Sunday, May 17. (nba.com) Because the Knicks are waiting on that series winner, the start of the Eastern Conference finals depends on whether Cleveland closes the series Friday or Detroit extends it. NBA.com’s playoff page listed the Eastern Conference finals slot opposite the Knicks as still to be determined. (nba.com) The same page showed the conference finals on the broader playoff calendar beginning June 3, but the bracket section confirmed only that New York had already advanced and that Cleveland-Detroit remained active. ### What has Anunoby meant to the Knicks in these playoffs? (nba.com) Yahoo Sports reported that Anunoby averaged 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks before the injury, while shooting 53.8% from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts per game. Brown called him one of the Knicks’ most important players in the Associated Press report, describing him as a top defender whose offensive game has surged during this postseason run. (nba.com) Josh Hart said the layoff gives the Knicks recovery time, but also leaves players waiting for the next game. “I think at least a week if not nine days, that’s a long time,” Hart said, according to the AP report published by NBA.com. ### What happens next? Friday, May 15, brings the next two checkpoints for New York: the Knicks’ next practice and Game 6 between Detroit and Cleveland. (sports.yahoo.com) If the Cavaliers win Friday, the Eastern Conference finals matchup would be set; if the Pistons win, the series would go to Game 7 on Sunday, May 17, according to the NBA schedule. Brown said he planned to reassess Anunoby’s status after Friday’s practice, leaving that session as the next named step in the forward’s recovery. (nba.com)